Pana Illinois: A Pair of Basketball Championships

While traveling in the RV, I pulled into a gas station in Pana, Illinois, a town of 5700 people.  While pumping gas, an older lady in a red truck beside me commented on Abbey sitting in the front seat.  She always jumps into my seat when I get out of the RV.  She said that's a cute-looking dog.  

I told her the story about her being in a shelter for 10 months when we got her 2 years ago.  She asked where we were from; I said Nashville.  Then, after asking, she said she had lived in Pana all her life.  She went on to tell a story that will live with me for the rest of my life. 

She played on the Girl's Basketball team in High School, and her husband played on the boy's team.  At the time, they were both boyfriend and girlfriend.  They both won the state championships in the same year.  I told her that's neat and congratulations for such a long marriage and the state championships.  

We smiled at each other, and I thanked her for the conversation. I'm sure it was one of the greatest times in their lives to be in love and win state championships.  As her husband walked out of the convenience store, we wished each other a great day.  He got into their red truck, and then they rode off into the sunset of High School Basketball Glory.

I learned afterward that it almost didn't happen.  If it wasn't for Title IX of the Civil Rights Act there probably wouldn't be any girl's basketball in Pana.  Title IX made it all possible.  Passed in 1972, it made girl sports equal to boy sports.  That story is explained in this news article, We just wanted to play: Pana High celebrates Title IX and 50 years of Girls Athletics.